We went to Vietnamese language class at Nguyen Dinh
Chieu campus and learned about bargaining at the Ben Thanh Market. The market
was huge and I bought some souvenirs. At 1:30 we went on a tour of a pagoda.
Afterwards, we walked to a memorial in honor of a monk who set himself on fire.
Later, a couple +3 students and I rode on motorbikes with UEF students to two
restaurants and the Saigon River.
Pictures
Journal
Today we did a lot of walking! The day started late
at 8:45. We went to Vietnamese language class but this time at the Nguyen Dinh
Chieu campus. The lesson was on numbers and bargaining to help prepare us for
the Ben Thanh market. The market was immense. Ben Thanh is the largest market
in Ho Chi Minh City. Venders sold a little bit of everything including jewelry,
t-shirts, hats, food, and sunglasses. I was prone to being grabbed and touched
because everybody recognized that I was American! I bought a rice hat, Pho
t-shirt, and Vietnamese coffee. After the UEF students explored the Ben Thanh
market with us, they lead me and Long to a great Pho restaurant. Later, Long
and I met up with the rest of the plus3 students and walked back to the hotel.
At 1:30 we walked to a pagoda. Outside there were venders, but inside there was
a giant, golden Buddha. It was required to take off your shoes before entering.
The group was lead on a tour throughout the pagoda. One of the venders sold me
Vietnamese calligraphy that meant, “learn from yesterday and be a better person
today.” Then, Dr. Berman led the group to a memorial in honor of a monk who set
himself on fire to protect the Buddhist religion. Later, Scott, Long, and I
rode on motorbikes with UEF students to a snail restaurant. One dish was scary
because you had to suck the snails out of their shells. We then rode to a
“pizza vender.” The pizza was made of rice paper, cheese, and a meat. After we
were full, we rode to the Saigon River and took pictures on a bridge.
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